Purpose
To identify the perceptions of university students about the noise in the classroom and its consequences on learning quality.
Methods
The participants were 100 healthcare undergraduate students from ten noisy classrooms indicated by their teachers. They completed a questionnaire with open and closed questions about the presence, source, type, and valuation of noise, its impact on lessons and strategies to minimize it. The closed responses were descriptively analyzed, and compared among courses.
Results
Mean age was 21.3 years, female predominance (85%) and unmarried (91%). The university and the classrooms were considered noisy by the students; they indicated themselves as the largest source of noise; they react to noise with an effort to listen, difficulty in concentration and irritation which interfere in learning, grades and health. In noisy conditions, the students ask for silence, to sit in front of the class or to study at home.
Conclusion
Students identified noise as a harmful factor for the teaching-learning process, realized their role in this context and were proactive in creating an environment compatible to learning.
Health; Noise; Noise effects; Education; Higher; Students
